Four Modernizations
[4][5] They were introduced as early as January 1963 at the Conference on Scientific and Technological Work held in Shanghai, Zhou Enlai called for professionals in the sciences to realize "the Four Modernizations.In December 1978 at the 3rd plenary session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Deng Xiaoping announced the official launch of the Four Modernizations, formally marking the beginning of the reform.[citation needed] The science and technology modernization, although understood by Chinese leaders as being key to the transformation of industry and the economy, proved to be more of a theoretical goal than an achievable objective.This was primarily due to decades-long isolation of Chinese scientists from the international community, outmoded and outdated universities, and an overall lack of access to advanced scientific equipment, information technology, and management know-how."[7]: 65 Recognizing the need for technical assistance to spur this most important modernization, the Chinese Government elicited the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the fall of 1978 to scope out and provide financial resources for the implementation of an initial complement of targeted projects.